Design of a Solar-Powered Water Desalination Unit

  • Authors

    • Dr. Rohit Malhotra Professor, University of Mumbai, India Author
    • Dr. Sneha Banerjee Assistant Professor, Jadavpur University, India Author

    DOI:

    https://doi.org/10.67228/30716357/IJMRSE-2020PII1G8M

    Published 07-02-2020

  • Solar Desalination, Photovoltaic System, Reverse Osmosis, Solar Thermal Collector, Renewable Energy Integration, Specific Energy Consumption, Sustainable Water Treatment, Hybrid Desalination System, Energy Efficiency, Water Recovery Ratio

    Issue

    Vol. 3 No. 2 (2020)

    Section

    Articles

    How to Cite

    Design of a Solar-Powered Water Desalination Unit. (2020). International Journal of Modern Research in Science & Engineering, 3(2), 01-14. https://doi.org/10.67228/30716357/IJMRSE-2020PII1G8M

  • Abstract

    Freshwater scarcity has become a critical global challenge, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions where groundwater salinity and seawater intrusion reduce the availability of potable water. Conventional desalination technologies such as reverse osmosis (RO) and multi-stage flash (MSF) distillation require high energy consumption and rely heavily on fossil fuels, increasing operational costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Integrating renewable energy, especially solar energy, into desalination systems offers a sustainable alternative for decentralized water production. This study proposes and analyzes a solar-driven desalination system designed for small communities. The system combines photovoltaic (PV) modules for electricity generation with a solar thermal collector for feedwater preheating, integrated with a reverse osmosis membrane unit. The hybrid configuration improves energy efficiency and reduces overall energy consumption. The design methodology includes thermodynamic modeling, solar radiation analysis, hydraulic calculations, membrane performance evaluation, and energy balance analysis. Simulation results indicate that the system can achieve over 45% freshwater recovery with a specific energy consumption below 3.5 kWh/m³. Economic analysis shows approximately 30% lifecycle cost savings compared to conventional grid-powered RO systems in remote areas. Overall, the proposed solar-driven hybrid desalination system provides an efficient, environmentally friendly, and scalable solution for sustainable water supply in water-stressed regions.

  • References

    [1] A. A. El-Sebaii and F. Al-Hazmi, “Solar desalination by direct contact membrane distillation,” Desalination, vol. 220, no. 1–3, pp. 309–322, 2008.

    [2] H. E. S. Fath, “Solar distillation: A promising alternative for water provision with free energy, simple technology and clean environment,” Desalination, vol. 116, pp. 45–56, 1998.

    [3] K. S. Reddy and G. N. Kumar, “Performance evaluation of solar stills with enhanced evaporation techniques,” Solar Energy, vol. 83, no. 6, pp. 898–912, 2009.

    [4] A. Al-Karaghouli and L. L. Kazmerski, “Energy consumption and water production cost of conventional and renewable-energy-powered desalination processes,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 24, pp. 343–356, 2013.

    [5] M. Qiblawey and F. Banat, “Solar thermal desalination technologies,” Desalination, vol. 220, pp. 633–644, 2008.

    [6] G. Zaragoza et al., “Experimental evaluation of a reverse osmosis system powered by photovoltaic solar energy,” Desalination, vol. 347, pp. 68–75, 2014.

    [7] S. Burn, S. Hoang, and A. Zarzo, “Energy efficiency of desalination systems,” Water Research, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 591–602, 2011.

    [8] J. Ghaffour, T. M. Missimer, and G. L. Amy, “Technical review and evaluation of the economics of water desalination,” Desalination, vol. 309, pp. 197–207, 2013.

    [9] A. Subramani and J. G. Jacangelo, “Emerging desalination technologies for water treatment,” Water Research, vol. 75, pp. 164–187, 2015.

    [10] M. Y. Eltawil, Z. Zhengming, and L. Yuan, “A review of renewable energy technologies integrated with desalination systems,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 13, pp. 2245–2262, 2009.

    [11] S. Kalogirou, “Seawater desalination using renewable energy sources,” Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, vol. 31, pp. 242–281, 2005.

    [12] A. Malek, M. A. Hawlader, and J. C. Ho, “Design and experimental investigation of a solar-powered RO desalination plant,” Desalination, vol. 114, pp. 37–51, 1998.

    [13] H. Sharon and K. S. Reddy, “A review of solar energy driven desalination technologies,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 41, pp. 1080–1118, 2015.

    [14] M. Qasim, T. M. Badrelzaman, N. N. Darwish, N. A. Darwish, and N. Hilal, “Reverse osmosis desalination: A state-of-the-art review,” Desalination, vol. 459, pp. 59–104, 2019.

    [15] A. Alghoul, M. Sulaiman, and M. A. K. Abdul Rahman, “Performance evaluation of hybrid photovoltaic–thermal desalination systems,” Applied Thermal Engineering, vol. 50, pp. 143–152, 2013.

  • Downloads